L.A. donates 8,000 computers after Windows 7 upgrade

Instead of throwing out 8,000 computers that became obsolete after a system upgrade, the Los Angeles City Council has decided to refurbish half and recycle the rest.

The city no longer needs the computers after upgrading from the older Windows XP system, said Mark Wolf, executive officer of the Information Technology Agency.

The upgrade took place in April, according to a city report. A council aide said the city is now using Windows 7 systems.

The plan, proposed by Councilman Bob Blumenfield, calls for refurbishing some of the computers so they can be donated to nonprofit organizations serving disadvantaged communities. Blumenfield called the pilot program an “exciting project.”

Any computers that cannot be refurbished will be “recycled responsibly,” instead of sent to a landfill, according to Wolf.

A “bigger-picture vision” for the program is to “leverage private sector donations” so nonprofit organizations would continue to receive donated computers after the initial 4,000 or so have been distributed, Wolf said.

Blumenfield’s motion was adopted by the City Council on a unanimous vote. “This is an innovative solution that has involved multiple city agencies cooperating with one another,” Blumenfield said.

“By thinking about the entire life cycle of our electronic devices, we can make strides in bridging the digital divide, benefit underserved communities and reduce our e-waste footprint.”